Study Finds Increased Prevalence of Nonpharmacological Pain Treatment

Following a publication earlier this year that analyzed patterns in prescribing nonopioid pain medication, JAMA Network Open published an article on November 7, 2022, which compared trends in pharmacological and nonpharmacological pain management. Researchers in the study conducted a serial cross-sectional analysis using data collected between 2011 and 2019. The findings displayed an increased prevalence of nonpharmacological pain treatment.

According to the publication, as of 2019, over 20% of adults in the United States suffer from chronic pain. Unfortunately, 22.1% of those patients are being treated with opioids to manage their pain. While opioids can be a critical tool in specific care settings, they have a heightened risk of addiction. The CDC states that nearly 75% of drug overdoses involve one or more opioids.

That being said, understanding patterns in pharmacological and nonpharmacological pain treatments may provide explanations for opioid trends, indicators for policy changes, or additional information for understanding addiction.

The study looked at cancer-free adult patients with chronic or surgical pain. Approximately 36,777 participants suffered from chronic pain, while 9,643 suffered from surgical pain. The study found that the use of nonpharmacological pain treatment for both populations trended upward. Patients with chronic pain were nearly three times more likely to receive exclusive nonpharmacological pain treatment in 2019 when compared to 2011. Furthermore, patients with surgical pain were 1.53 times more likely to receive exclusive nonpharmacological pain treatment in 2019 when compared to 2011.

This increase in nonpharmacological pain management may be due in part to the CDC’s guidelines on prescribing opioids for chronic pain, which were updated approximately halfway through the period referenced in this study in 2016.

The researchers in the publication concluded, “our study holds broad clinical and policy relevance, including expanding the reimbursement for nonpharmacologic healthcare professionals and equalizing direct access — without a physician referral — between these professionals in some circumstances. Administrators and health care professionals may benefit from education on the effectiveness of nonpharmacologic treatments and which licensed professionals can be consulted to deliver such treatments.”